Nicko’s Fine Foods

I had the Pastrami on Rye. It was OK. Nothing to brag about. The diner itself is a little run down looking, but that’s part of the charm. Nick was walking around making conversation with some of the customers. I didn’t know he did magic tricks. Had I known I would have asked to see something. Maybe next time.

I love Nicko’s. The food is good but it’s so much more than food… it’s atmosphere and experience. It’s Nick himself and the great servers and color that Nicko’s has. It’s the nostalgia and the vibe!
I have had the Nicko burger, club sandwich, shrimp basket, meatloaf — breakfast…you name it and it’s pretty darn good.
It’s a diner, with good diner food. Plus it’s also all about Elvis’ booth. I’ve sat there a few times too.
It’s always a good time and if you’re lucky, Nick the owner will stop by the table with a few slight of hand magic tricks and he’s really good to!
Folks from all walks of life come into Nicko’s. It’s not a big place and lunch can be tricky to navigate. That said it’s worth the wait!
Today I am having the patty melt with fries.

It was Sunday morning in Tampa, and I was anxious to find a filling breakfast before heading in for a long day of work. I looked through my list of bookmarks, and spotted Nicko’s Fine Foods along Florida Avenue, and decided to give these folks a try. This 1950’s-style aluminum diner, sits along Florida Avenue in between Hillsborough Avenue and Dr. MLK Boulevard. You’ll find Nicko’s right in front of Hillsborough High School, and this honestly looks like the typical New York /​New Jersey-​style roadside diner. It is immensely popular with the residents of Seminole Heights.
There was a line out the front door, and I gather that this is common on weekend mornings. The staff inside is real good about taking your names, and squeezing you inside as the booths and counter space become available. Nick, the owner, is an amateur magician, and he is quick to entertain the crowds with some jokes and card tricks while you’re waiting for your table. The signage around the diner proudly announces that Elvis is coming, and you can certainly picture him inside of this establishment. There is actually a booth in the corner where The King reportedly ate a meal. No doubt he enjoyed a hunk-​a, hunk-​a burning love with a side of waffles, bananas, and peanut butter
Nicko’s is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My server said that they’re always busy, which I believe since the food is really good, and affordably priced. This is your basic short-​order kitchen, and they’ll whip up most anything for you.
Kathy was my server when I grabbed a seat at the counter, and she kept up a running patter of conversation, jokes, and refills on my iced tea while zipping around behind the counter with a coffee pot in one hand. Since I was in the mood for breakfast, I skipped over all of the soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and Greek specialties, and went right for the breakfast menu. Breakfast is available all day long, and Kathy reminded me that Nicko’s was doing it long before McDonald’s thought that it was a cool idea.
I kept it basic and ordered a sausage and cheese omelet with grits and wheat toast, but I could have easily selected waffles, egg platters, biscuits & gravy, cereal, hotcakes, and the always popular steak & eggs. The food was whipped up quickly by the kitchen staff, and Kathy was back to refill my iced tea and drop off a selection of hot sauces. Quick, inexpensive, and good food. That’s what I like to see in a diner, and Nicko’s certainly delivers.

Small little diner on Florida Ave. I have visited Nicko’s a few times and I have found the food to be fairly consistent and good. Most of all the food is very reasonable. My only gripe is this place can get crowded pretty quick and it is not very roomy inside. But I will say after a night of fun on the town and a few drinks later Nicko’s does come through. I have only had breakfast here therefore I can’t speak on their lunch or dinner options. This diner is an easy 4 star but I took one star away because the server on my last visit was a little ditsy and all over the place. I also waited 3 hours (not really) for the tab and a to go sweet tea.

Greasy, cheap, and kind of spectacular. Everyone knows of the «Elvis booth», as most of their advertising mentions it. It’s a fun little quirk, and cool to tell people you’ve sat where Elvis sat, but I think anyone who has been there would still recommend the place without it.

Came here to get a carb load before going back to the bar. It’s soooo cheap. $ 14 plus tip for two people and you get a ton of food. Don’t think my friends liked their burgers but I got the 222 deal (2 pancakes, 2, eggs, 2 bacon) for $ 5.55 and it hit the spot. I heard its more known for their breakfast so I’ll have to give this greasy spoon another try. The bathroom had a rapey vibe and there was a rusty metal pole on the side of the sink and a trash bag covering the broken window. Pee before you get here

Came here after a ceremony for a quick bite before heading back home on the interstate. The food is very good and the service was quick! It’s a typical diner with typical diner food. The music was 50s and 60s so I was totally cool with that (I’m in my 30s) because I love oldies. The atmosphere was quiet even though the restaurant was half full. Great breakfast food!

I would’ve given it five stars, but honestly, the food is not that great. The reason I gave it four stars is it has character and history. Nicko himself was walking around to various tables doing some magic tricks. He is very friendly and funny. If there was no Nicko and no magic tricks, I may have given two stars. I mean, they put processed sliced cheese on top of my omelette. Yuck. I scraped it off and ate it anyway because I didn’t want to be «that customer».

I’ve passed Nicko’s many times since living in Tampa and always have the «that place is for breakfast this weekend!» feeling but never made it… until this past weekend! The place has that classic diner atmosphere that just can’t be replicated over night. You can walk in and «feel the community» and wonder about all of the conversations that have took place in a booth over time.
The most important thing I noticed on my visit was a man standing at the doorway assisting people getting seated and organizing the short wait for a table. He was constantly smiling, greeting people, thanking them for their visit, and simply being a good host. He even approached our table and did 3 or 4 magic tricks while we waited for our food to arrive. It was quite impressive.
Before leaving, I learned that man was Nicko himself. Folks, that is first class customer service you just don’t experience anymore. Even if the food was «eh», that boosted the experience and made me feel like I was going to be taken care of.
Oh, the food was actually great– the rest of my party opted for breakfast, but I have mental issues with eating breakfast past 10am so I ordered a gyro… that was no mistake! Plenty of sliced gyro meat that made for a fantastic gyro. They all raved about their plates as well, so Nicko’s will certainly be on the breakfast rotation for us!
TIP: I see multiple «cash only» comments, but they do take credit cards now!

You know, I want to love this place. LOVE it. But I don’t.
The food is fine, even good. I like that it is a legit diner car, of the variety Martin Sexton sings about in his song:
«Diner my shiny, shiny love…
In the night you’re all I’m thinking of.»
I love the history of the place but unfortunately it’s really run down. Not «showing its age» but more like neglected. I get it… old buildings are hard to keep up. However, the fixes here border on absurd. Shelf liner is not window sealant. Corrugated cardboard is not plywood. There were dried food and coffee splatters.
Service is non-​existent most of the time. Your order will be taken, the check will be dropped off at the same time the food is, and good luck if you need anything else. One of the 2 waitresses could’ve said, «Everything all right honey?» instead of both turning their backs to me and reading the paper or talking to the regular customers at the table right next to mine. If you need something, expect to have to chase someone down or flail to get their attention.
When I went for breakfast I had a platter with scrambled eggs, hash browns, and ham. When I went for Fat Tuesday I had a bacon cheeseburger with fries. Everything was hot, tasty, fresh, and properly cooked (bravo to them for doing what the Mermaid can’t…cooking a juicy medium burger!). My burger and fries were $ 6.75 including tax. My giant breakfast was less than $ 6. Everything comes out pretty quickly too!
If the review was based strictly on how awesome the neighborhood is, the cool factor of diner cars, and the food this would easily be 4 if not 5 stars. However, service and cleanliness are important to me. A solid 3 stars it is. I’ll definitely be back since it’s walking distance from my house.

I’ve had many hang overs in my life… but none compared to the one post New Years Eve 2K16. As many know, there are only a few cures for hang overs… Tylenol, sleep, or really really good breakfast food. And Nicko’s very much saved me that morning. Not only was the food delicious and filling, but really hit the spot in order to breathe life back into my almost dead self. If you have the chance, try the hashbrowns and hash. It is out of this world and will literally make your taste buds explode.
The atmosphere was very nice. It’s like an old school diner type of scenery, very homey. The service was exceptional. Our server was so nice and could easily tell I was hung over, she even threw in a free cup of coffee, which is probably why I’m still alive and able to type this review.
tl;dr — If you’re in need of a local breakfast stop, this is the place to be. Don’t bother with Waffle House.

AWESOME PLACE!
1950’s diner that hasn’t changed its look since it opened. I made small talk with the owner who has been here for 35 years. He is still delivering food, running register etc…
Favorite part is the second I walked in they had coffee ready for me and every time I got to half full they asked if I wanted a top off. Excellent service at the bar.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Awesome place in the middle of trendy Seminole Heights. This place has the lay back ambiance of a New York diner, plus its owner, Nicko, makes it even more special by entertaining with his magic tricks. Elvis Presley himself stopped by this place.

A delicious hidden gem in Seminole Heights. Food is yummy and super cheap. Two people can eat breakfast for less than $ 12. I love their biscuits and gravy and the 2−2−2 special. They serve Joffrey’s coffee– the best in Tampa.
I would give Nickos a 5, but I feel that the cleanliness is an issue for me. It’s very old and dingy, as another Unilocaler said, it could use a little refurb. The silverware is always spotty and the tabletops are sticky. Walls and blinds are dirty and dusty. Definitely needs some love.

Fun diner in Seminole Heights, serving traditional Greek diner food. Servers are always friendly and engaging and pros archway they do. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever you want it. Steady group of regulars but welcome the newbies as well. Maybe you can sit in the booth dedicated to Elvis, from a long ago visit. Surprised he didn’t write a song about it. CASH only, big portions always consistently good.

Could make it five stars if only… just give me a cleaning crew, small rehab budget, and one week to make this place sparkle. Badly in need of a refurb. Very old, dingy, down & out look.
OK, got that out there, now some good things to say: had a great waitress, served excellent pancakes, bacon, and breakfast sandwich on cuban… wow! Also, wonderful/​excellent home fries. Hot, fresh coffee constantly refilled. Busy Sunday, but service was excellent, short wait for food to arrive.
We’ll be back for lunch soon. In the meantime, get this place cleaned up!

Nicko’s is an old Tampa institution. Never fancy, never amazing, but consistently okay, with plenty of character — and characters — inside. Their big claim to fame is that Elvis actually ate in one of their booths, back in the day. True or not, it always impresses my out-​of-​town guests.
It is best for breakfast or lunch, I think. I recommend sticking with eggs and/​or burgers — you can’t go wrong with either of those, any style. Don’t bother trying to eat healthy here — those options aren’t really worth your time. If you’re in the mood for Greek food, the Chicken Souvlaki Platter is surprisingly good, though incredibly greasy.
Nicko’s definitely provides a good value for your money, in a place where the old diner atmosphere is just as classic as the food served. Take note — cash only!

After a very late night out, I woke up craving diner food. I love pancakes and waffles, but sadly my boyfriend is just not a breakfast fan. So Nicko’s was a great compromise for us! Lunch for him and breakfast for me.
Luckily, Nicko’s is only a five minute drive from our house. We pulled into the lot right in front of Hillsborough High School and immediately noticed how tiny the building itself was. The parking lot wasn’t full but it was pretty close, so we weren’t sure if we’d even be able to find seats. Upon entering, we realized it was a ‘seat yourself’ establishment. All of the tables were full, but there is a bar that expands the length of the restaurant so we were able to sit there right away.
There were four or five busy servers buzzing around the restaurant, so our drink order was taken immediately. For our meals, I chose the 2−2−2 Special, which comes with two eggs, two pancakes, and two pieces of bacon. My boyfriend ordered the reuben with fries. The pancakes were delicious and just what I was looking for! I also had a bite of his reuben, which neither of us had ever tried, and it was very good. The fries came out fresh and piping hot and our glasses were always full.
We both left happy and very, very stuffed. Nicko’s is now high on the list of our favorite fast and cheap brunch spots!

Perfect spot for breakfast at incredibly cheap prices.
We arrived about 12:15 pm on Saturday, expecting it to be packed. Nope, walked right on in and picked a booth — Elvis’ booth, to be exact. Promptly ordered drinks (OJ and water), which arrived shortly thereafter, then ordered the bacon and cheese omelet (with hash browns and wheat toast) and the country omelet (with white toast and home fries). Both meals were delivered to our table in under 10 minutes.
HUGE portions of food — so much food it was hard to finish our meals, but we did. Lots of bacon and tons of cheese in the omelet and the hash browns were cooked nice and crisp, as I like them. Country omelet also had tons of fillings with the home fries cooked perfectly. And lots of yummy melted butter on the toast — no need for any jelly.
Total bill was under $ 20 and spent less than 45 minutes in the diner. Wonderful experience and will definitely return.

Went here on a Saturday. The environment is exactly like a 1950s diner right down to the age of the Decour/​equipment within.
We actually ended up sitting next to the booth that Elvis once sat in on his travels through the South. Interesting fact.
I had the meatloaf here and I have to be honest, I wasn’t a fan. There was a certain taste or spice in it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but I know it was not familiar with meatloaf. I had a taste of the fried chicken, potato salad, and coleslaw though and those were very good. The beef and barley soup that came with the meal was amazing! The service staff was friendly and quick.
Hopefully, I can give this place the benefit of the doubt and try something else on the menu next time.